APC at the 12th AWID International Forum

APC members and staff will be participating at the 12th AWID International Forum on Women’s Rights in Development in Istanbul, Turkey from 19-22 April 2012. The theme of the 12th AWID Forum is “Transforming Economic Power to Advance Women’s Rights and Justice”, and APC Women's Networking Support Programme will be hosting a number of workshops as well as a pre-events on the feminist practices and politics of the internet.

What is the 12th AWID International Forum?

The 12th AWID International Forum, will gather up to 2000 women’s rights leaders and activists from around the world from April 19 to 22, 2012 at the Halic Congress Center in Istanbul, Turkey. The theme of the 12th AWID Forum is “Transforming Economic Power to Advance Women’s Rights and Justice”: how economic power is impacting on women, their rights and the planet? Read more on the theme here.

Why is it important?

The Forum is both a conference and a call to action, and it is the largest recurring event of its kind. It brings together women’s rights leaders and activists from around the world to strategise, network, celebrate, and learn, and re-politicize the gender and development community.

Where can you meet us?

1. Pre-events on feminist practices and politics of the internet:

16-17 April: Dialogue on digital security and women's human rights defenders
APC is hosting a global dialogue on digital security and women human rights defenders to strengthen experiences and expertise of organisations working on digital security, freedom of expression and association. It will examine how to effectively respond to capacity building needs, engage in evidence building and coordinate responses to advocacy for women's right to association and freedom of expression online.

21 April: Don't miss this talkshow! Commodification of rights: Privacy and Pleasure Inc.Venue & time: Sutluce III; 11:30 – 13:00
Companies like Facebook are increasingly being invested with the power to protect a broad range of women's human rights. Our data helps consolidate their power, but what is at risk when rights are traded for profit? What can feminists do about it? Activists from diverse countries share insights and actions around sexuality, privacy, violence and the internet.Speakers: Nighat Dad (Pakistan), Nadine Moawad (Lebanon), Valentina Pellizzer (Bosnia-Herzegovina). Moderator: Jan Moolman (South Africa)

21 April: Pursuing sexual freedom online - findings from the Exploratory Research on Sexuality and the Internet (EROTICS)Venue & time: Sutluce II; 14:30-16:00
The mobilisation of anxieties about sexuality has led to policies addressing online sexual content. Researchers of the EROTICS project will share their findings on the ways hysteria has promoted sexually repressive policies, and strategies of resistance based on agency and community mobilisation. If you are working on sexual rights and use the internet for your activism, don't miss this session!Speakers: Nicolene McLean (South Africa), Melissa Hope (USA), Maya Indira Ganesh (India), Jandira Cavalcanti (Brasil). Moderator: Jac sm Kee (Malaysia).

19 April: How increasing access and availability of the Internet has transformed the way knowledge is produced and shared (Feminist Economics Toolbox sessions)Venue & time: Sutluce 1, 11:30 – 13:00 (organised by AWID)
What does it mean for women’s rights that most online platforms and services are owned by a few transnational corporations? How do international copyright agreements, data protection and privacy affect our advocacy? Who governs the Internet, content and data we produce and exchange, and how can feminists engage with and participate in this process?Speaker: Jac sm Kee

20 April: Changing World Geopolitics and Global Governance: Making sense of the trends, actors and their implications for women’s rights (In Depth-Session)Venue & time: Fener Auditorium, 14.30-16.00(organised by AWID)
This session will look at some of the actors and institutions (new and old) defining what global governance looks like today. It will provide space for brainstorming our vision of future global governance to advance women’s rights, justice, environmental sustainability and human rights.Speaker: Jac sm Kee

APC’s speakers & partners in main plenaries:

21 April: Experiences of Resistance and Collective Organizing to Transform Economic PowerVenue & time: Halic Auditorium, 9:00-11:00
The previous AWID Forum focused on the “Power of Movements”. This plenary will return to that theme, and you will hear some of the experiences of diverse movements that are confronting and resisting dominant forms of economic power and who are organizing creatively to build their own power.Speakers: Manal Hassan (Egypt)

3. Join us virtually, too!

Live coverage: Engage in discussions about feminist internet politics and practice at the 12th AWID Forum at www.genderit.org/awid2012.

Launched in 2006, GenderIT.org is a groundbreaking resource site that provides feminist reviews and commentary on internet policy and culture. It started as a site monitoring policy developments on ICT and gender, and from its beginnings has been unique. Initially it was one of the first sites looking at ICT policy through a gender lens. Many years later, GenderIT.org remains a unique space for its focus on the global South, its focus on those working at the grassroots level (grounded in the experience of the women in the society in which they live), and its emphasis on both advocacy and social justice.